George Will on Trump

[Cope]

This is part of why I think this country needs to go through this political temper tantrum. There will no doubt be a heavy price to pay in a variety of areas, but the complacency that exists among Americans that everything will always be ok needs to be threatened every so often just to remind us bad things can happen anywhere. While there's the aspect of a unitary executive and all the crap that implies, I think the bigger danger is both parties fall into the trap of using the kind of gutter politics Trump uses as the way forward.

I think this country needs to go through both extremes in order to figure out the smart play is, and has always been the middle.

This means some on both ends aren't going to be happy, but the corruption has still got to go.

 

[RaleBulgarian]

I don't think working across the aisle in any significant way is practical and probably not possible in the forseeable future. tRump's stench and the fallout from this utterly incompetent administration will haunt us for at least a decade and probably longer. Dems will get the blame for everything that falls apart due to the incompetence of this admin and I have no faith, none, zilch, nada in the ability of the electorate who voted for him twice to make better choices in future and no faith in those who didn't vote or voted their conscience for neither party -- both groups who inadvertently helped tRump win -- to muster up the energy to change their behavior.

The idea that either party wants to work toward taking care of business for all Americans is a myth. Unless we have fundamental change in how government operates and how candidates are funded and elected, we're doomed. tRump has laid bare all of our weaknesses and it remains to be seen whether we can fix them.

I don’t share your pessimism.

 

[MAGAnificent]

Conservatives live within there means. Show me the Republicans balancing our budget?

There have been times the republicans sought to do that. Reagan begged for a "line item veto" which would have made such obtainable. The Republican controlled congress proposed and passed a balance budget amendment in the lead up to the 1994 midterms, however since then, they have spent like drunken sailors just like the democrats.

Conservatives value ethical thinking. They believe in facts. Not alt facts. They believe in the scientific method. They value critical thinking. They practice common sense.

They did during the Reagan era, and are now doing so in Trump's second term.

I see no evidence of any of that in the current Republican Party (don’t see it in the Democratic Party either).

Nobody can force you to see what you absolutely do not want to see.

 

[The Brad Dad]

I didn't vote for Trump. I know he's not a populist. He has one talent and it’s self-branding and Democrats suck at it. He's the "drain the swamp" guy. A big part of the appeal of him is he's hated by the political class. Democratic presidential candidates don’t even pretend like they want to "shake things up" in Washington when congress has a 20% approval rating on a good month.

Yeah, he's totally shaken things up - he took all the corruption from the back rooms and put it front and center. Really shook things up.

 

[btthegreat]

Those of us watching from elsewhere will not be holding our breath while waiting for a return of integrity, honesty and decency on the part an American electorate.

I don't blame you, not a bit.

 

[ModernDiogenes]

There have been times the republicans sought to do that. Reagan begged for a "line item veto" which would have made such obtainable. The Republican controlled congress proposed and passed a balance budget amendment in the lead up to the 1994 midterms, however since then, they have spent like drunken sailors just like the democrats.

Clinton and Gingrich negotiated a balance budget (the first in some time and the only once since) but there was no “Balanced Budget Amendment”. Just standard legislation that was reversed later.

They did during the Reagan era, and are now doing so in Trump's second term.

Sorry but bull sh#t:

Indictments are a good indicator of how tightly an administration is adhering to sound ethics.

Carter and Obama had ZERO. Clinton fewer that Reagan, Nixon and certainly Trump.

Nobody can force you to see what you absolutely do not want to see.

I don’t use vision to “see”. I use metrics. Numbers don’t lie. Their values are specific, not readily manipulated and mean what they mean.

No one is perfect but I’m science based for method and fact driven. Like someone who was a professional investigator for over 40 years ought to be.

 

[Michael Cole]

LMAO @Will. The things TDS does to otherwise sane people!

Ya vote for Biden and Harris to uphold those "conservative principles'!

Yes, the conservative principle of constitutional democracy. It's not Will's fault that Trump doesn't defend the Constitution.

 

[element94]

My complaint about the old guy is his hostile takeover of the US with the intent to shape this country in his corrupt image with a group of corrupted wealthy people and supported by a group of corruptible, opportunistic wanna-be elites.

And Supreme Court justices.

 

[anatta]

Yes, the conservative principle of constitutional democracy. It's not Will's fault that Trump doesn't defend the Constitution.

oh please. Trump is exerciisng the presidential powers..SCOTUS hasn't overturned any

 

[Michael Cole]

oh please.

???

Trump is exerciisng the presidential powers..SCOTUS hasn't overturned any

Okie doke.

The conservative principle Will is supporting is the Constitution. The thing Trump wipes his ass with.

Until you realize Trump is not conservative, you'll be stuck.

 

[MAGAnificent]

Clinton and Gingrich negotiated a balance budget

If you are going to start with bullshit, I see no need to read further. Clinton negotiated absolutely nothing in that regard. The republican congress passed a balanced budget bill on the hill and Clinton vetoed it twice until his handlers let him know his re-election chances were in serious jeopardy if he vetoed a third time.

 

[ModernDiogenes]

If you are going to start with bullshit, I see no need to read further. Clinton negotiated absolutely nothing in that regard. The republican congress passed a balanced budget bill on the hill and Clinton vetoed it twice until his handlers let him know his re-election chances were in serious jeopardy if he vetoed a third time.

I politely state: Horse crap.

Gingrich came to Clinton with much steeper cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and federal welfare programs that through negotiations Clinton scaled back. For instance, Gingrich initially wanted $202 billion in Medicare cuts whiie Clinton came in at $109B. They negotiated to the final at $115. A lot closer to Clinton’s number than to Gingrich’s.

They negotiated the tax cut as well, coming to a place both could live with. Though Clinton gave more there.

That Balanced Budget Act was hard fought and an argument for precisely why the way Clinton and Gingrich did it back then, across the aisles, was vastly better that the way we do it today.

Know your history.

(Try reading Steven Gillon’s, "The Pact: Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, and the Rivalry that Defined a Generation,")

.

 

[MAGAnificent]

I politely state: Horse crap.

BS.

 

[ModernDiogenes]

BS.

Not.

We could do this all day, except you’ll keep it to just opinion and I’ll start adding more actual data and their sources as I did in my last response to you.

It’s a generally accepted historical reading of the events as they unfolded that the finally effected “Contract with America”, while heatedly debated, was in its conclusion a negotiated effort between the Clinton White House Administration and the Gingrich House of Representatives Republican Caucus. It is held out as what is able to be accomplished when people decide to work across aisles. Even when those persons whole heartedly disagree, or even do not like, each other.

Now go ahead, say BS again. It’s expected, so don’t feel ashamed.

 

[Brusan]

Not.

We could do this all day, except you’ll keep it to just opinion and I’ll start adding more actual data and their sources as I did in my last response to you.

It’s a generally accepted historical reading of the events as they unfolded that the finally effected “Contract with America”, while heatedly debated, was in its conclusion a negotiated effort between the Clinton White House Administration and the Gingrich House of Representatives Republican Caucus. It is held out as what is able to be accomplished when people decide to work across aisles. Even when those persons whole heartedly disagree, or even do not like, each other.

Now go ahead, say BS again. It’s expected, so don’t feel ashamed.

When you are attempting to inject factual logic and reason into a debate with someone having no willingness or capacity to accept or assimilate either; one of those quotes about lowering yourself to their level or another such as doing battle with an unarmed man come to mind.

Regardless; those placing value on their time are essentially facing into the wind while emptying their bladder.

 

[MAGAnificent]

When you are attempting to inject factual logic and reason into a debate with someone having no willingness or capacity to accept or assimilate either; one of those quotes about lowering yourself to their level or another such as doing battle with an unarmed man come to mind.

Regardless; those placing value on their time are essentially facing into the wind while emptying their bladder.

 

[Brusan]

Exhibit "A".

 

[MAGAnificent]

Exhibit "A".

 

[Michael Cole]

Hub?



Or Mugshot?